Suburban businesses behind Brady, but want to know what he's thinking

Earlier this month, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce placed its support for - and money on - Republican Bill Brady for governor.

It wasn't a surprise. The 3,500-member group has never endorsed a Democrat for the job. It followed up with a $100,000 pledge to Brady and a promise to raise more money in the future, citing a "loss of confidence in the current administration."

But members of suburban chambers have been less outspoken in their backing, as they strain to hear Brady spell out a clear plan.

They know Brady's opponent, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, would like to balance the state budget by hiking taxes, borrowing and cutting spending.

What does Brady offer instead? Some say they wish they had a better idea.

The Bloomington senator's pro-private sector jobs stance is attractive to local business leaders. But they also say his plan to repair the state's broken budget by cutting "a dime of every dollar" is a source of worry - even as they hear his opponent Gov. Pat Quinn's proposal to hike income taxes from 3 percent to 4 percent.

"Right now, it's the economy stupid. Nothing else really matters," said Dino Gavanes, president of Premier Risk Services Inc. in Itasca. "Give me your mantra. Give me your philosophy. We don't have any money. Don't mince words."

Brady has not yet given any indication that he will shed more light on the plan he defended at the Illinois State Fair last week.

"I think I'm pretty precise. A dime of every dollar is pretty precise," he said.

Recent media polls show Brady has an approximate 10 point lead over Quinn, a Chicago Democrat. Green Party candidate Rich Whitney, a Carbondale attorney, was trailing with support from about 11 percent of those responding.

Brady, a businessman and real estate developer, spoke to chambers of commerce from Addison, Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Des Plaines, Itasca, Mount Prospect, Wheeling/Prospect Heights and Wood Dale at a luncheon in Elk Grove Village Wednesday.

He used the opportunity to highlight his pro-jobs stance - backing job creation tax credits, lawsuit abuse reform and the elimination of a number business fees. Brady promises a $2,100 tax credit to any size business that creates new jobs.

On the budget front, however, he was more vague - calling for "deconstructing" and "reconstructing" the state's budget "based on the priorities of the people of Illinois.

"If we create a budget that is in balance," he told attendees, "those jobs will come back."

Brady's focus on keeping jobs within the state resonates with Phil VanDuyne, a member of the Greater O'Hare Association and vice president of Itasca Construction. His company, like scores of others, has seen business slow and its staff downsized as a result of the recession.

VanDuyne and Mary DeLucca, Greater O'Hare Association chair who works as a client service manager at Bensenville-based Livingston International, each say they've seen clients driven out of state, finding more competitive deals across the borders in Wisconsin and Indiana.

"I do think if both the national and local economy is going to improve, it's going to come once private businesses have the comfort level to hire new people. That's going to be the bellwether issue," VanDuyne said. "I think the key to an economic recovery is having a business environment that encourages companies to come here, locate here, hire here."

But support for Brady's pro-jobs stances is tempered by some confusion about his budget plan, attendees said.

The state is more than $13 billion in debt, has piles of unpaid bills, unfunded pension obligations and falling bond ratings.

Brady has said he's against raising taxes, accusing Quinn of overspending and mismanagement.

But as to how to fix the problem, he said last week that he wouldn't offer a detailed budget plan until after the Nov. 2 election.

Gavanes said he has known and respected Brady for years through his work with the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois' government affairs committee.

Still, Gavanes said, so far in the election, he doesn't believe Brady has "gotten a good enough message out. I think he needs to improve upon his message. He has to get out there and hammer it in, the way that Quinn has hammered in Brady's perceived social agenda."

The Democratic governor has called for balancing the budget with a combination of higher income taxes, lower spending and borrowing. He also supports a tax credit - giving $2,500 to small businesses who create new jobs. Quinn has proposed $1.4 billion in cuts, which, together with the estimated $2.8 billion raised from a tax increase, would cut at the deficit by about a third.

As the clock ticks closer to November, DeLucca said her vote would ultimately be driven by "where the clearer plan is in my mind. You have to weed through all of the spin. I don't think that all the information is coming upfront from either candidate. It's time for change. Everyone's saying it's time for change. But so far I haven't seen Quinn or Brady spell out clearly what that might be. It may come down to voting for the lesser of two evils."